Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV

Shear English - Finally, there's a worthy Italian alternative to some of the default hot-hatch choices, writes Bruce Newton. Alfa Romeo has been living on its past glories for some time now. The driving experience promised by some sublime shapes has failed to materialise.

The Giulietta QV is Alfa's latest attempt at Italian soul-stirring. Thankfully, it is neither a rehashed Fiat like the MiTo city car, nor a compromised production version of an exquisite concept such as the Brera coupe.  

Price and equipment

The curvaceous five-door Giulietta replaces the aged 147. The base model is priced from $36,990 (plus on-road and dealer costs) and the Quadrifoglio Verde - or four-leaf clover - version tested here is pitched at a competitive $41,990.

While the name is from Alfa's past, the Giulietta sits on a new platform. The QV leaves no doubt about its intentions, housing a 173kW/340Nm turbocharged 1.7-litre petrol engine.

It combines with a six-speed manual gearbox and some tricky electronics to ensure the front-wheel-drive chassis isn't overwhelmed by all that urge.

Alfa's 'DNA' system manages this electronic suite and can alter engine, braking, steering, stability control and gearbox characteristics depending on the mode. D is for dynamic, N for normal and A is all-weather.

The QV's exterior gets the hot hatch treatment courtesy of 18-inch alloys, red brake calipers, side skirts and two bazooka-like exhaust outlets. Inside there are leather sports seats, Bose audio with MP3 compatibility and a USB port, Bluetooth and aluminium pedals.

The Giulietta is a five-star NCAP performer. It also has six airbags, lap-sash safety belts for all occupants, stability control and anti-lock brakes.  

Under the bonnet

Measuring up at 1.7-litres, the latest iteration of Alfa's TBi double overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine uses direct injection, variable valve timing and variable geometry turbocharging to produce an exceptional 173kW and up to 340Nm (300Nm in N or A mode).

Alfa claims a 0-100km/h time of 6.8 seconds and an average fuel consumption of just 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres. Our long country run into the mountains and back to town produced a very respectable 8.3L/100km average.

Mated to a six-speed manual that shifts sweetly once you adapt to the late clutch take-up, the engine delivers strong acceleration from idle through the middle-rev ranges. It's very smooth too, with no temperament or lag. Shifting to D mode simply adds urgency.

Alfa engines traditionally sing their way into the heavens, prepared to sacrifice some lower-end tractability to do so. But not in this case, with the rev limiter cutting in at just over 6000rpm.

How it drives

The QV employs a 10-millimetre-lowered sports-tuned version of the Giulietta's MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension.

Add big brakes, low-profile rubber and an electronic front differential activated by D mode and this is the most cohesive Alfa driving experience in years. Time and again its sure handling, sensitively tuned electric steering and uncorrupted power delivery remind of the Golf GTI.

It's not as sharp or intimate as the brilliant Megane - not even in D mode - but then, nothing this side of a Ford Focus RS is. Rougher roads do stretch the link to the GTI. The Alfa copes OK but there is a tendency for some bang and crash.

Back in the 'burbs, the QV is lightly manoeuvrable but difficult to see out of. Thankfully, rear parking sensors are standard.  

Comfort and practicality

The QV's dark and deep cabin brings with it a striking new interior design. However, functionality and ergonomics are inconsistent.

We love the red backlit instrumentation tubes that face the driver and the toggle switch controls in the centre stack for things such as foglights. However, the aircon controls seem inspired by the grille of a Toyota FJ Cruiser and there's no turbo boost gauge.

The driver is looked after by a supportive seat and the small three-spoke steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake. But there is no left footrest and the pedal positions seem too high and too far to the right. Reflections from the dash are writ large across the windscreen.

Taller rear-seat passengers will find headroom restricted by the curved roof-line. Exit and entry is restricted by small doors.

If you're sitting behind a 180-centimetre-tall driver, knee-room will also be limited. At 350 litres, boot space is class-competitive, and the split-fold rear-seat ensures much bigger loads fit. Cabin stowage for mobile phones, iPods and the like is limited, if acceptable. 

English - KOMPAS.com

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To Celebrate 35 Years of Golf GTIs, Volkswagen, Have Released the Golf GTI Edition 35

Shear English - Volkswagen says happy 35th birthday to its ever-popular hot-hatch with a more powerful special edition. Volkswagen has marked 35 years since the debut of its Golf GTI by releasing a more powerful edition of the popular hot-hatch.

The Edition 35 produces 173kW from the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, giving the anniversary model a small power advantage over the regular, 155kW GTI.

The German car maker hasn't revealed whether the GTI 35’s performance and fuel economy figures are affected. (The standard model flaunts a 6.9 second 0-100km/h time and economy numbers of 7.7L/100km for the manual model and 7.6L for the DSG.)

The GTI 35 sees new-style, 18-inch wheels added as standard, with new-look headlights with LED running lights and a redesigned front bumper, and LED rear tail-lights – the same seen on the Golf R and the Golf Cabriolet.

There are also “35” badges on the side of the car, while the interior gains the same signature emblazoned on the seat uprights and door sills. The golf ball-dimpled gear-knob – as seen in the original GTI model from 1976 – also returns.

It’s not yet clear whether the new 35 model will be available in three- and five-door versions – VW Australia isn’t sure and the company’s official media site only shows images of the three-door.

The German brand’s local arm has confirmed the new model will be available in Australia, but spokesman Karl Gehling remained tight-lipped about how much the new model will cost as well as how many examples of the car will be available.

“We’re still waiting to see how many we can get,” says Gehling. “And the price isn’t confirmed yet.”

German pricing , however, has been released, with the limited release 35 model priced about $4000 higher than the regular GTI, meaning the 35 model may be priced closer to $45,000 when it goes on sale here later this year.

The three-door GTI starts from $38,990 plus costs. VW also produced 20th- and 30th-anniversary versions of the GTI, and the latest model will make its public debut in early June at the brand's annual GTI Meet in Worthersee, Austria.

The GTI has been one of the world's most successful hot-hatches since it launched in 1976. It also accounts for about one in every four Golf sales in Australia. 

English - KOMPAS.com

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Jaguar C-X75 Hybrid Supercar (Jet-powered Jaguar Gets Green Light)

Shear English - Stunning C-X75 hybrid supercar concept confirmed for production. 322km/h. 0-100km/h in 3 seconds. Emissions below 100g/km. Jaguar will build one of the fastest cars in the world after announcing its stunning C-X75 hybrid supercar concept will become a new halo model for the brand.

The British brand will make the star of the 2010 Paris motor show an exclusive proposition with just 250 C-X75s to be produced between 2013 and 2015, with a price tag for Australian buyers set to be as high as $2 million.

Jaguar is partnering with Formula One team Williams to create the supercar, which it says will be capable of speeds in excess of 320km/h and acceleration from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds. A hybrid drivetrain will allow the C-X75 to be driven 50km on electric power alone with average emissions expected to be 99 grams per 100km, the company says.

The production model will initially not feature the helicopter-inspired micro-turbines that powered the concept’s batteries, though Jaguar says it is continuing to develop the technology and later examples of the C-X75 could employ the jet-powered propulsion system.

The C-X75 will instead be powered by a small-capacity “highly boosted” petrol engine combined with “powerful” electric motors on each axle that make the supercar all-wheel drive.

Jaguar says Williams’ expertise in aerodynamics, carbon composite construction and hybrid technology – the latter through the use of the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used in F1 racing - will be key to the C-X75’s success. The C-X75 will be made of carbon-fibre to ensure the supercar is both incredibly light and rigid.

“People expect Jaguar to be innovators - that is when Jaguar is at its best," says Jaguar brand director Adrian Hallmark. “The C-X75 received an incredible reception as a concept car.

“We've been building on that momentum and there is a clear business case for this exclusive halo model. No other vehicle will better signify Jaguar's renewed confidence and excellence in technological innovation than this.”

The styling of the production C-X75 is not expected to stray far from the radical shape of the concept car. 

English - KOMPAS.com

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Zagato's V10 Alfa Supercar

Shear English - Built by famed Italian coachbuilder Zagato, the TZ3 Stradale is an Alfa Romeo-bodied sports car with the mechanical hardware of a Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR - including its tyre-frying 450kW/760Nm 8.4-litre V10 engine. The Stradale is the second TZ3 model from the design and engineering house following the one-off TZ3 Corsa, revealed last year as a tribute to the Alfa Romeo TZ (Tubolare Zagato) sports cars of the 1960s.

The latest incarnation also continues the celebration of Alfa Romeo's 100th anniversary and the two companies’ long-term links. Just nine examples will be built with the first going to US Alfa Romeo and Zagato collector Eric King, while cars number two and three are destined for wealthy collectors in Japan and Europe, respectively.

Zagato says its latest TZ3 is a design exercise — not a race car — unlike the track-focused Corsa with its 313kW, 4.2-litre Maserati V8 and mere 850-kilogram body weight. Instead, the ‘‘avant-garde car’’ combines American muscle with a sleek carbon-fibre body that blends traditional and modern Alfa and Zagato styling cues, albeit appearing straight out of the ’90s.

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Porsche's Racer for the Road : Biggest Engine Yet for 911 Sports Car

Shear English - Porsche's current 911 is going out with a bang - now packing its biggest ever engine for a new GT3 road-racer variant. The new GT3 RS 4.0, as its name suggests, is fitted with a unique 4.0-litre version of the company's iconic flat-six engine, up from the usual 3.8 litres. Less than 10 examples of the limited edition (only 600 will be made) will make it to Australia later this year. But Porsche has already "serious expressions of interest" for customers willing to fork up the $409,100 (plus costs) asking price.

That's whopping $68,000 premium over the stripped-out, track-focused GT3 RS and a staggering $132,900 on top of the already-rapid GT3. And for that price you get a plastic rear window. That's because any area that could save weight has been trimmed. The bonnet and front fenders are made of racing-style carbon fibre, there are special feather-weight seats, and even the carpet is "weight-optimised."

That helps the RS 4.0 tip the scales at 1360kg, making it 10kg lighter than the already anorexic RS 3.8. But you do get more of the most important things to help you go faster: power and downforce. All that extra money buys you another 37kW of power and an extra 30Nm of torque on top of the GT3 RS. That lets the RS 4.0 launch from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and sprint from standstill to 200km/h in only 12 seconds.

The usual wide, low stance of the GT3 carries over, as does the huge racecar-style rear wing. At the front Porsche has used the aerodynamic, downforce-creating vanes, or "flics", to improve cornering performance even more. It is the first time the flics have been used on a production Porsche and come directly from the company's ultra-successful motoring racing 911 GT3 RSR.

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Subaru's New City SUV, the XV

Shear English - XV concept previews Japanese brand's latest soft-roader that's smaller than a Forester. Subaru will expand its range of SUVs with a city-sized soft-roader based on a new concept vehicle unveiled today at the 2011 Shanghai motor show. The XV concept is shorter and lower than the Japanese brand's most popular SUV, the Forester, and it will become its smallest SUV when it goes into production as expected.

As the baby SUV in the Subaru family, the all-wheel-drive XV is powered by a 2.0-litre version of the company's horizontally opposed 'boxer' engine rather than the 2.5-litre unit employed in the Forester. It is linked to a step-less continuously variable transmission that started life in Subaru's Liberty/Outback models and is gradually replacing outdated four-speed autos throughout the brand's range.

The stylish concept - which looks close to being production ready - suggests Subaru is set to respond to criticisms that its vehicle designs, such as the Impreza and Liberty, are too polarising. The XV features the hexagonal grille design that is central to Subaru's new family face and makes its production debut on the new Impreza also being revealed this week - at the New York motor show.

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Volkswagen Reinvent The Beetle

Shear English - Volkswagen has reinvented its cult Beetle for the third time in 73 years. The ergonomic new design, which will be offered initially to U.S. customers, gives the car a flatter roof, a less bulbous shape, narrowed windows and a sharp crease along the side. It is the first overhaul of the Bug since 1998, when Volkswagen came up with the New Beetle, a curvaceous front-wheel drive version of the classic car.

The new design is part of a drive by VW to increase sales Stateside. The car firm wants to triple U.S. sales of cars and trucks over the next decade. It said the changes to the Beetle - making it sportier and less 'cute' - will appeal to more buyers, and especially men. But there is speculation that VW's move could also anger devoted Beetle fans who love the four-seater for its curves and perky attitude.

The 1998 incarnation of the Beetle - the first change since the car's design in 1938 - saw the engine moved to the front of the car and the luggage space moved to the back. A vase for a single flower was added in a move that clearly brought the car into the realm of the female motorist. Now though, the vase is gone, and an altogether more masculine image is being projected, with low-profile alloy wheels, LEDs, redesigned tail lights and even a turbo model on offer.

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Peugeot’s SXC Luxury SUV Concept Could Point to Next-Generation BMW Rival

Shear English - Peugeot’s SXC luxury SUV concept could point to next-generation BMW rival. In text-talk, “SXC” is “sexy”. In Peugeot parley, however, “SXC” stands for the “Shanghai Cross Concept”.

The French brand has unveiled its new SXC high-riding crossover model ahead of the Shanghai motor show this week, and it could be a big model for the company – in more ways than one.

The SXC points the way to a new range-topping SUV for the French brand, a production version of which could go up against competitors such as BMW’s X5 and Audi’s Q7.

The SXC soft-roader measures up about the same size as a BMW X5 for length at 4.87 metres (the X5 is 4.86m), but is noticeably more squat at 1.61m tall (the BMW is 1.78m). However, the SXC’s staggering 2.03m girth makes it broader-shouldered than its German competitor by a whopping 10cm.

It wears Peugeot’s increasingly familiar new family face, with a pair of slim headlights and oversized air intakes dominating the front-end of the car, while in profile the SXC’s 22-inch alloy wheels, high-walled doors, and floating-look roof-rails separate it from the crowd.

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Hopes Rise of New XR8

Shear English - Ford's hairy-chested XR8 Falcon is not dead yet, the company says. The model has been in limbo since last June, when production ceased after its 5.4-litre V8 fell victim to tougher emissions laws. But it could return early next year in more than one guise, aimed at swinging V8 voters who have switched allegiance to Holden. At the moment, Ford's performance arm, FPV, has the mortgage on V8 Falcons with its 5.0-litre supercharged GS, GT and GT-P sedans, which start from $56,990 plus on-road and dealer costs.

But that leaves Holden's V8 SS Commodore unchallenged as the cheap entry point to a local V8 muscle car. It sells from $47,790. Ford Australia vice-president of marketing, sales and service, Beth Donovan, is adamant the project to revive the XR8 nameplate won't go ahead unless the car is 'more than competitive'. The car was originally scheduled to make a return before the end of this year but that looks unlikely.

Donovan's comments are in line with those from recently replaced Ford Australia president Marin Burela, who last year said there was something 'exciting' in line for a new-generation Falcon XR8 and that 'we are going to be bringing to the table more than we ever have'.

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"Inspired by Goodwood" - The Rolls-Royce Mini

Shear English - BMW's lower- and upper-end British brands, Mini and Rolls-Royce, have combined to create a limited edition luxury hatchback. The new "Inspired by Goodwood" Mini was created by the Rolls-Royce design team behind million-dollar limousines such as the Phantom.

The all-black-exterior Mini Goodwood won't cost quite as much if BMW Australia is successful in securing the car, which will be built in a limited production run of 1000 units, but UK motoring media are reporting the car could be very expensive for a small car - about $80,000 (approximately £50,000).

Named after the home town of Rolls-Royce and built under the watchful eye of the town's locals, the Goodwood model features lashings of luxury with the aim of ensuring the top-dollar Mini exhibits "the highest level of workmanship and stylish supremacy".

The interior is the clearest indication of the conglomeration between the two brands. The dash, console, seats, roof-lining and door-pillars are all clad in the exclusive Rolls-Royce colour Corn Silk, while deep-pile lambswool carpet mats, identical to the fleece used in current Rolls models, are thick enough to put Ugh-boots to shame.

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Holden V6s for New Saab SUV

Shear English - A revived Saab is set to roll out a new-model offensive that includes its first SUV - the 9-4X - but it won't be available with popular diesel power when it arrives to Australia later this year. Instead, the Mexican-built mid-sizer will be powered by a choice of two GM Holden-built V6 engines to appeal to petrol-oriented US buyers - the Cadillac SRX-based vehicle's biggest target market.

A diesel-powered 9-4X was believed to be a hot topic at Saab's Trollhattan headquarters with the vehicle's sales success in Australia - and particularly in Europe -likely to be handicapped by the absence of an oil burner, which accounts for the majority of sales in the premium SUV segment.

"One of our challenges as a small company now is currency hedging and balancing currency risk, which gets quite difficult for us," says Saab Cars Australia managing director Stephen Nicholls. "We knew that we're building that car in the [North American] dollar zone, so we can sell it in the dollar zone to take away quite a bit of that risk".

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Cars are The Biggest Losers

Shear English - The race is on to become the 'biggest loser' in the car industry, with brands looking to shed hundreds of kilograms from their cars in a quest for improved fuel efficiency. The shift towards lightweight materials, such as carbon fibre and aluminium, is partly being driven by the development of electric vehicles. Companies have to offset the fitment of big, heavy battery packs that can add more than 300 kilograms to the weight of a car.

Earlier this week, Ford announced it would use special plastic panels infused with tiny bubbles in its vehicle's interiors. The company is looking to shed between 100 kilograms and 300 kilograms from each car and hopes to have the special material in every car in its range by 2020.

Closer to home, Holden is expected to begin using aluminium panels on the boot and bonnet of future versions of the Commodore. And last month, BMW revealed a range of new electric vehicles that will rely on extensive aluminium and carbon-fibre panels to offset the weight of their battery packs.

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Pictures : Subarus New Look Impreza

Shear English - Subaru has released the first official image of its new-look Impreza ahead of its full reveal at the New York motor show later this month. The new Impreza will be making its debut just four years after the launch of the third-generation model but is understood to have been fast-tracked to address its predecessor's polarising styling and much-criticised interior quality.

The single profile shot suggests the new Impreza is staying relatively faithful to the Impreza concept shown at last November's LA motor show, though the production model is inevitably more conservative. The proportions of the Japanese brand's small car are vastly improved, while the shape is clearly more curvaceous compared with the model it will replace. A more steeply raked windscreen rises into a swooping roofline, while the all-new sheetmetal brings a cleaner, crisper look to the body.

Flared wheelarches are also retained from last year's concept car and indicate even the regular models will carry muscular design cues usually reserved for the sportier Impreza variants - the WRX and STI. The new Impreza is expected to be slightly longer, wider and lower, and offer a more spacious cabin.

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